John Larabee

Vice President Private Brands @ The Guitar Center Company

About

I’m a results-driven executive leader with expertise in product management, business strategy, and brand development across the Pro Audio, Recording, and Musical Instrument industries. With a track record of launching market-defining products, scaling businesses, and optimizing brand portfolios, I thrive at the intersection of strategy, product, and execution to drive sustainable growth. As Vice President of Private Brands at Guitar Center, I led a cross-functional team spanning product management, sales strategy, operations, analytics, and brand marketing—overseeing a portfolio of 30+ brands and more than 2,000 products. My leadership has driven: ✔️ Significant revenue and profitability growth through strategic product innovation and category expansion ✔️ Brand transformation through portfolio optimization, differentiation, and go-to-market excellence ✔️ High-impact product development, earning multiple industry awards for innovation and design ✔️ Data-driven decision-making by leveraging market intelligence, pricing strategy, and forecasting analytics ✔️ Strong cross-functional collaboration, aligning teams across sales, marketing, and operations to maximize business outcomes I bring a holistic approach to growth—blending product vision, business strategy, and executional excellence to build high-performing teams, optimize resources, and deliver customer-driven solutions that win in the market. Always open to connecting and exchanging insights on product strategy, market innovation, and business leadership. Let’s connect!

Country

United States

City

Los Angeles County

Industry

Music

Skill

Product Management, Product Development, Brand Management, Project Management, Leadership Development, Analytical Skills, Sales Strategy, Sound Reinforcement, Digital Signal Processing, Product Design, Retail Sales, Account Management, Strategic Initiatives, Interpersonal Skills, Problem Solving, Sales Leadership, Product Strategy, Cross-functional Team Leadership, Executive Team, Product Road Mapping

Experience

Vice President Private Brands

The Guitar Center Company

2012-8 - 2024-12 · 12 yrs 5 mos

Recruited to transform and scale the Private Brands division for the world’s largest musical instrument retailer, driving product innovation, market expansion, and operational efficiency. Led cross-functional teams across product management, sales, marketing, analytics, compliance, and industrial design to strengthen brand positioning and category growth. Managed a diverse portfolio of industry-leading products across multiple categories, enhancing customer engagement and competitive differentiation. - Led a cross-functional team across product management, sales, marketing, and operations, overseeing a multi-brand, multi-category portfolio. - Expanded market share and product penetration, driving record-breaking category sales in strategic segments. -Developed a proprietary Data Analytics system that enhanced revenue forecasting and pricing optimization, ensuring competitive market positioning. -Strengthened global sourcing and supply chain partnerships, improving operational efficiency and product scalability

Director of Sales - Guitar Center

Line 6

2010-7 - 2012-1 · 1 yr 7 mos

Greater Los Angeles Area

Drove sales growth for Guitar Center across guitars, amps, digital wireless systems, and multi-effects devices by developing and executing strategic initiatives. Partnered with cross-functional teams to launch impactful marketing campaigns, streamline inventory management, and strengthen in-store execution. Worked in tandem with field product specialist executing training programs to elevate product knowledge and boost sell-through performance.

Director of Sales - National Accounts

HARMAN International

2007-1 - 2010-7 · 3 yrs 7 mos

Northridge, CA.

Managed a national account portfolio driving sales revenue of industry-leading brands, including AKG, Crown, dbx, JBL, Digitech, Lexicon, and Soundcraft. Developed sales reporting, category trending analysis, and market feedback initiatives to maximize the independent representative force effectiveness. Facilitated sales/marketing strategies for integration into key accounts including Guitar Center, Musician’s Friend and Best Buy.

Director of U.S. Sales

TASCAM USA

2005 - 2006 · 1 yr

Montebello, CA.

Oversaw all U.S. sales operations, managed an independent manufacturer’s rep network covering 17 territories, and created sales/marketing programs. Established sales quotas, played a key role in new product conception/development, and managed sales, advertising, and training efforts of key national accounts, such as Guitar Center, Musician’s Friend and Sam Ash Music.

Director of Product Development and Marketing

TASCAM USA

2004 - 2005 · 1 yr

Montebello, CA.

Integrated marketing and sales ideals into product development process, devised product plans, defined objectives for long-term technology roadmaps and supervised marketing team.